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P E N I N S U L A
Thursday, April 11, 2019 Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
Vol. 49, Issue 164
In the news Medical examiner identifies remains found near Big Lake ANCHORAGE — Alaska State Troopers say human remains found last week near Big Lake in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough belong to a Wasilla woman missing since December. The state medical examiner says the human remains belonged to 57-year-old Dolly Hampton and that she died by homicide. Troopers have identified a suspect in the case. The suspect is jailed on an unrelated crime. Troopers have not released the suspect’s name. Hampton’s family reported her missing on Dec. 6. She had last been seen in the Wasilla area.
Final suspect in Alaska gang killing arrested in Georgia ANCHORAGE — A suspect in the death of an Alaska gang member has been arrested in Georgia. The Anchorage Daily News reports 37-year-old Glen Baldwin is one of six people charged in federal court in the death of Michael Staton near Wasilla in 2017. Two have pleaded guilty. Three others already were in custody. Federal prosecutors say Staton and the suspects were members of the white supremacist 1488 prison gang. Prosecutors say gang members killed Staton after suspecting that he stole drugs and a Hells Angels’ vest. Baldwin goes by the name of “Glen Dog.” He was arrested Friday in Blue Ridge, Georgia, a town about 90 miles north of Atlanta. He appeared in court Monday. He is charged with murder, kidnapping, conspiracy and assault. Alaska prosecutors will seek extradition. — Associated Press
Inside ‘... Another destructive blow to our democratic institutions ... ’ ... See Nation, A5
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Dividend looms over House talks YouTube videos lead to arrest
By ALEX MCCARTHY Juneau Empire
As members of the Alaska House of Representatives debated possible changes to their budget proposal, a topic they didn’t talk about all day hung over their heads. Speaker of the House Bryce Edgmon and House Finance Committee CoChair Neal Foster both said in interviews Wednesday that debate has gone fairly well so far but they’re waiting to see what happens when the House begins discussing the Permanent Fund Dividend. As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, the PFD had not yet been brought up on the House floor, but the floor session continued into the evening. Neither Gov. Mike Dunleavy nor the House Finance Committee included the PFD in their budget proposals, electing to deal with the two issues separately. Edgmon,
By BRIAN MAZUREK Peninsula Clarion
Rep. Tammie Wilson, R-North Pole, right, speaks to other representatives on the House of Representatives floor on Wednesday. (Alex McCarthy | Juneau Empire)
an Independent from Dillingham, said it’s not clear yet whether budget discussions on the House floor will in-
clude talking about the PFD. “We’re working our way through that at this point,” Edgmon said. “It’s a big is-
sue. It’s a huge issue. We have people on both sides, on every side of the Permanent
See TALKS, page A2
An Anchorage man has been charged with 20 counts of misconduct involving a weapon after video of him allegedly shooting grouse in Cooper Landing was given to state troopers, according to an affidavit filed at the Kenai Courthouse on April 9. On Jan. 1 Alaska Wildlife Troopers received a tip about videos of a man illegally shooting grouse on a YouTube channel under the name “Nutty Nu.” According to the affidavit, troopers See VIDEO, page A2
District explores consolidating schools in Homer, Seward By VICTORIA PETERSEN Peninsula Clarion
The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District will explore the possibility of consolidating schools in both Homer and Seward. Two new area meetings and surveys have been organized to gather input from
the community. “Exploring the difficult concept of school consolidations or closures is a challenging task,” a Wednesday press release from the school district said. “However, with fiscal uncertainty at the state and borough levels, it is an act of due diligence to have the conversations in order to
learn community concerns and thoughts, and share with families and staff. In that light, KPBSD is being proactive to explore a number of possibilities to meet potentially significant funding cuts in all areas of our district, including southern, central, and eastern peninsula schools.”
Warming weather means bears By KAT SORENSEN Peninsula Clarion
As the weather warms, a familiar fear starts to resurface — bears. “We get so complacent in the winter,” said Kenai Wildlife Refuge Wildlife Biologist Todd Eskelin. “Even if it’s just a bag of dog food we leave on the porch, this time of year there’s not a lot of food for them.” As brown and black bears start to wake up from months of hibernation, residents of the Kenai Peninsula need to revert back to their ‘bear aware’ state. There have been a few sightings throughout
A bear sits at a picnic table in this undated file photo. (File)
the peninsula, including a brown bear harvest near Deep Creek last month. The snow has melted and, accord-
ing to Eskelin, there is no reason why the bears aren’t out. “It’s going to be a while See BEAR, page A2
In Homer, the school district is looking at the possibility of consolidating Homer Middle and Homer High School. The high school has the capacity to accommodate the middle school students, and consolidating would simplify transportation needs, the release said. Closing Homer Middle
School would save around $459,000 annually in operating costs, and avoid deferred maintenance costs of approximately $10 million, the release said. In Seward, the district is hoping to hear community feedback on the possibility of consolidating Seward See SCHOOL page A3
Budget cuts could close transitional housing program ANCHORAGE (AP) — Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s proposed budget cuts could cause a transitional housing program to shut down, program administrators said. The Safe Harbor program provides housing for families with children in Anchorage, but the program could end by the summer if it loses state funding, Alaska Public Media reported Monday. The program operated by the nonprofit Rural Alaska Community Action Program gets about half of its
funding from the state. “If we shut down our doors with the new fiscal plan, we would be putting approximately 140 people back on the streets,” Safe Harbor supervisor Claudia Maria-Mateo said. The program houses 63 adults and 77 children, Maria-Mateo said. Operating the programs costs about $6 per person each day and residents pay some of the cost. The Republican governor has proposed cutting about $5 million in state grant funding to 14 safety See CUTS, page A3
Beetles create risk of falling trees at 2 campgrounds By DAN JOLING Associated Press
ANCHORAGE — The threat of falling trees brought on by insects and exacerbated by climate warming will close two Alaska state campgrounds this summer. Campers could be hurt
by toppling trees killed by spruce bark beetles, whose infestations are accelerated by mild winters and hot summers, according to the Alaska Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation. “We have been experiencing a number of rotten trees falling over in the campgrounds this season,
and while the timing is unfortunate, we need to take action now to reduce this hazard and help make our parks safer,” Ricky Gease, state parks director, said in the announcement. The campgrounds, with more than 100 campsites, are south of Denali National Park. Byers Lake Camp-
State eyeing proposal to raise Pioneer Home rates By BECKY BOHRER Associated Press
Alaska officials are moving ahead with a proposal that would significantly raise rates at state-supported elder-care facilities, while a bill in the state House seeks to moderate what the state can charge. Clinton Lasley, director
of the division overseeing Pioneer Homes, recently told a House committee the state would continue with the regulatory process and a plan that seeks to raise rates between 40 percent and nearly 140 percent if the bill does not pass. Lasley has said the Department of Health and Social Services can adjust rates without legislative ap-
proval. State officials have said the state’s proposal is an attempt to bring rates in line with the cost to provide services. The department is taking comments on its proposal. After the public comment period ends, the department could adopt changes or take no action. The state proposal See RATES page A3
ground is in Denali State Park, and the South Rolly Campground is in the Nancy Lake State Recreation Area. The state plans to hire contractors to cut down and remove rotten trees. However, to avoid spreading beetles, the state plans to do the work in cold weather. That means campground closures
likely will last through summer and could extend into next year, the parks division said. Spruce bark beetles caused major damage in Alaska forests late last century, one of the earliest signs scientists cited as evidence of climate change in See RISK, page A3
Soldotna police search for man suspected of vandalism By BRIAN MAZUREK Peninsula Clarion
A Soldotna man has been charged with criminal mischief after allegedly vandalizing a credit union in Soldotna, according to an affidavit filed at the Kenai Courthouse on April 5. On March 6 at around 1 a.m, Soldotna Police received a call from the manager of Credit Union 1, who reported that an adult
white male had damaged the walls and floor of the lobby as well as an ATM and an exposed electrical wire. The manager estimated the cost of some of the damages at $1,256.58, but the cost to replace the damaged ATM has yet to be determined, according to the affidavit. The manager reported that in addition to damaging the property, the man See MAN, page A3